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Felicity Dean set to star as Queen Elizabeth I in new television series

Winterson’s actor, Felicity Dean, will appear as Queen Elizabeth I in a new television docudrama, set to begin on Channel 5 at 9pm on Tuesday 9th May. Dean takes on the role of the older Elizabeth, appearing alongside Lily Cole, who plays the 20 year old version of the Queen.

The 3 part series combines elements of documentary and drama, and sees performances from both Dean and Cole as the action switches back and forth along Elizabeth’s lifetime. The show will be presented by Dr Suzannah Lipscomb and historian Dan Jones, and follows on from the critically acclaimed 2016 documentary Henry VIII And His Six Wives.

You can here see parallel images of the two Queens in makeup, reflecting the lifelong commitment that Elizabeth made to her position, and in particular to the responsibility of being a woman in a traditionally male occupied role, having famously been quoted as saying: “I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king.”

Unusually for a show of this profile (and perhaps reflective of the majestic wardrobe on display) we have received a wide range of production shots ahead of release, which you can view more of on the Winterson’s Facebook page here.